ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Several individual big days on both sides of the ball helped Augustana post a 40-14 Homecoming victory over Millikin at Lindberg Stadium this past Saturday. Coach
Steve Bell's Vikings improved to 3-1 on the season and 2-1 in the CCIW heading into a contest at ninth-ranked North Central on Saturday, October 12.
Senior defensive end
Xavier Holley (Bettendorf HS, Davenport, Iowa) recorded Augustana season highs in solo tackles (eight), tackles for loss (7½) and sacks (five) Saturday to earn CCIW Defensive Player of the Week honors. The five sacks equaled the total posted by Adams State's Alani Pututau against Western Colorado on September 28 as the most at any level of the NCAA this year and Holley's 7½ TFL are one more than any other player has recorded in an NCAA game in 2019. He now leads the conference in tackles for loss (11) and is second in sacks (5½) and ranks fourth and eight in the nation, respectively, in TFL (2.75) and sacks (1.38) per game.
Holley wasn't the only Viking defender to have a big day. Junior safety
John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) had two interceptions for the second time this year. His five picks on the season lead the CCIW and are tied for tops in the nation so far in 2019.
Senior linebacker
Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) and Kappel are Augustana's leading tacklers this year, with 33 and 25, respectively. The Viking defense has allowed averages of just 12.8 points (second in the CCIW), 92.8 rushing yards and 302.2 total yards per game.
On offense, senior running back
Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mount Prospect, Ill.) ran for a career-high 143 yards on Saturday. Through four games, he has rushed 84 times for 432 yards and three touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 143 yards and an additional score. He ranks second in the CCIW in both rushing (108.0) and all-purpose (143.8) yards per game.
Senior quarterback
Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) is 73 of 115 (63.5%) passing for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns and just one interception this year. Senior
Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) leads five receivers with double-digit catches with 18 grabs for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
North Central brings a number nine national ranking into Saturday's 1:00 p.m. game at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville, Illinois. Coach Jeff Thorne's Cardinals are 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the CCIW following a 35-21 loss to fifth-ranked Wheaton this past Saturday.
Behind last year's CCIW Offensive Player of the Year Broc Rutter and Offensive Lineman of the Year Sharmore Clarke, North Central ranks second in the nation in passing (364.8) and total (557.8) yards per game. Rutter has completed 72.7% of this passes for 1,414 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception. He has the league's leading receiver in Andrew Kamienski (42 catches for 533 yards and five touchdowns) as well as big play threat Blake Williams (23-466-3) to throw to. Kamienski joined Rutter, Clarke and guard Ricky Strba on the 2018 All-CCIW first team. Ethan Greenfield is the Cardinals' leading rusher with 350 yards and three touchdowns on 59 carries.
North Central's defense ranks eighth in the nation against the run, allowing just 47.0 yards per game and just 1.7 per carry. The Cardinals have returning All-CCIW first teamers Tommy Hyland and Jake Beesely at defense tackle and cornerback, respectively. Linebacker Ben Wong is the team's leading tackler with 17 solo, 13 assisted and 30 total stops.
Augustana leads the all-time series by a margin of 57-31-1, but North Central has won the last 13 meetings.
10/05/19—AUGUSTANA 40, MILLIKIN 14
Holley leads Vikings to Homecoming win over Millikin
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Senior defensive end
Xavier Holley (Bettendorf HS, Davenport, Iowa) recorded five sacks and 7½ tackles for loss Saturday as Augustana defeated Millikin 40-14 on Homecoming at Lindberg Stadium. The contest was delayed 2½ hours by lightning, but the outcome was worth the wait, as the Vikings improved to 3-1 on the season and 2-1 in the CCIW. The Big Blue dropped to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the league.
After forcing a Millikin punt on the game's opening series, Augustana responded with a 10-play, 78-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. Senior
Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) carried three times for 39 yards and his 24-yard burst around the right side set up
Zachary Fuller's (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) one-yard touchdown sneak.
Owen Ennis' (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) point after made it 7-0.
A
John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) interception and 26-yard return on the Big Blue's next possession put the Vikings back in business at the Millikin 20. Jarosz had consecutive carries of eight and nine yards to give his team first-and-goal at the three, but Millikin's defense stiffened and Augustana settled for a 25-yard Ennis field goal and a 10-0 lead.
The visitors answered with a 15-play, 81-yard march that reached the Vikings two-yard line. However, on third and fourth downs, linebacker
Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) made two straight stops on rushes by quarterback Cal Pohrte to keep the Big Blue off the board.
After the teams traded two more empty possessions each, Augustana took over at its own 26 with 3:53 left in the first half. 10 plays later, the Vikings were in the end zone, with Fuller hitting
Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) from 33 yards out for the score. The point after failed and Coach
Steve Bell's crew took a 16-0 lead to intermission.
Millikin forced an Augustana three-and-out on the first possession of the second half and then got a hand on
Justin Wehr's (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) punt, resulting in short field. Taking over at the Viking 30, the Big Blue took advantage of a pass interference call before Ladavion Severado's two-yard touchdown run got them on the board. Lucas McCoskey added the point after to make it 16-7 at 11:04 of the third quarter.
The hosts bounced back with four unanswered scores. Junior
Alek Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and Jarosz had touchdown runs of 40 and 28 yards, respectively and Augustana led 30-7 at the end of three quarters. Ennis added a 29-yard field goal early in the fourth and after consecutive Holley sacks of Pohrte stalled a long Millikin drive, the Vikings marched 68 yards in 11 plays. Jarosz, Jacobs and
Antonio Cannon (Oak Park River Forest HS, River Forest, Ill.) combined for 46 rushing yards on the drive and Jacobs capped it with a three-yard touchdown pass to
Mike Riley (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.). Ennis' PAT made it 40-7 with 5:28 to play.
Pohrte hit Jordan Smith with a 37-yard touchdown pass on the next drive and McCoskey's kick accounted for the final.
Jarosz ran for a career-high 143 yards on 24 carries. Jacobs added 67 yards on eight attempts as Augustana rushed for 244 yards on the day. Fuller completed 14 of 26 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Six of his completions went to Dolis for 86 yards.
Holley had a huge day, with eight solo and two assisted tackles, 7½ for loss and five sacks. Sawicki was in on eight stops and Kappel intercepted a pair of passes, giving him five on the season. The Vikings limited the Big Blue to just 60 yards on the ground.
On Saturday, October 12, Augustana travels to Naperville, Illinois to face a North Central team that entered this week ranked fifth in the nation.
2019 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/RESULTS
DATE |
OPPONENT |
|
SITE |
TIME/SCORE |
September 7 |
Coe |
Knowlton Kickoff Classic |
HOME |
W, 41-3 |
September 21 |
Elmhurst* |
Family Weekend |
HOME |
W, 55-13 |
September 28 |
Illinois Wesleyan* |
|
Bloomington, Ill. |
L, 17-21 |
October 5 |
Millikin* |
Homecoming |
HOME |
W, 40-14 |
October 12 |
North Central* |
|
Naperville, Ill. |
1:00 p.m. |
October 19 |
North Park* |
|
HOME |
1:00 p.m. |
October 26 |
Wheaton* |
|
Wheaton, Ill. |
1:00 p.m. |
November 2 |
Washington U.* |
|
St. Louis, Mo. |
1:00 p.m. |
November 9 |
Carroll* |
Senior Day |
HOME |
1:00 p.m. |
November 16 |
Carthage* |
|
Kenosha, Wis. |
1:00 p.m. |
* - College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game
2019 CCIW STANDINGS
School |
CCIW |
Overall |
Wheaton |
3-0 |
4-0 |
AUGUSTANA |
2-1 |
3-1 |
North Central |
2-1 |
3-1 |
Washington U. |
2-1 |
3-1 |
Carthage |
2-1 |
2-2 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
2-1 |
2-2 |
Millikin |
1-2 |
2-2 |
Elmhurst |
1-2 |
1-3 |
Carroll |
0-3 |
1-3 |
North Park |
0-3 |
0-4 |
Washington U. 35, North Park 10
was introduced as the 19th head coach in the storied history of Augustana football on January 9, 2015. In 15 seasons as the head football coach at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, Bell fashioned a 112-44 (.718) overall record. During his tenure at Monmouth, his teams won four Midwest Conference championships (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011) and finished second six times. Augustana has gone 12-28 during Bell's first four seasons. He is a 1992 graduate of Bemidji State University with a degree in physical education.